In 2003 the Legislature set out to create a strategic plan for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, enlisting the help of the College of the Menominee Nation to develop the basic framework upon which a strategic plan would rest. Unlike department specific or issue specific plans, which often only address the short-term and narrowly focused topics, the strategic plan was intended to address the Tribe as a whole and set a unified direction for all of its various units of government. Financial assistance to complete this comprehensive planning effort was made possible by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Administration for Native Americans through a 3-year grant, and overall planning logistics were carried out by the Tribe's Department of Administration.

Development of the strategic plan began in earnest in the fall of 2004, and concluded in the fall of 2007. The 153-page document that was produced represents the culmination of over 5,400 planning hours and over three year's worth of hard work performed by the Tribe's administrators, directors, and program managers, countless community members, and a four-year old dream of the Legislature that is now fully realized.